Yarn cleaner



March 31. 1925.

R. G. JENNINGS YARN CLEANER Filed Aug. 10, 1921 2 Sheets-Shet 1 ATTORNEY om vm Maich 31. 1925.

R. G. JENNINGS YARN CLEANER Filed Aug. 10, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

ROBERT eoULnanNNIn-es, or ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

YARN CLEANER.

Application tfiled August 10, 1921. serial No, 491,152.

To all whom 2'! may concern; 7

Be it known that I, Bonnier GO LD JnN- NINGS, a citizen of the United States,-res1ding at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Yarn Cleaners (for which I have filed applications in Canada, February 5, 1915, Patent No. 164,527, of August 24, 1915; and in England, March 3, 1915, Patent No. 3,421 of 1915; and in Germany, March 6, 1915. Patent No. 295,197, of November 11, 1916'; and in Switzerland, March 13, 1915, Patent No. 73,091, of August 16, 1916; and in Austria, March 13, 1915, Patent No. 71,776, of May 25, 1916; and in France, March 24, 1915, Patent No. 478,966, of November 2, 1915; and in Italy, March V30, 1915, Patent No. 144/445; and in Japan, .March 18, 1915, Patent No. 28,622, of November 4, 1915), of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to yarn cleaning apparatus, and more particularly in some of its details, to apparatus for removing from a running thread of yarn shibs and similar impurities, such as fragments vof fibers, seeds, burrs, leaves, and the like, and relates further to improvements in yarn cleaning apparatus such asdiscl'osed 'in iPatent No. 1,301,133, granted to R. G..Jennings on April 22, 1919, reissued March16, 1920, No. 14,818.

It is an object of the invention to improve and perfect yarn cleaning apparatus of the class mentioned so as to accomplish the most satisfactory results in ope 'a tion Another object is to provide improved yarn cleaning apparatus of the class mentioned well adapted to remove impurities from a running thread of yarn in an effective and satisfactory manner while maintaining uniform tension on the yarn.

It is a further object to provide an im proved releasing means for a yarn cleaning unit of the general type disclosed in said prior patent.

A further object is to provide an improved yarn cleaning apparatus which automatically accommodates itself to variations in the diameter of yarn maintaining uniform tension thereon and minimizing the breakage thereof.

.Still another object is to provide a yarn cleaning apparatus having relatively few parts which are readily assembled or disassembled in a short space of time by ordie nary workmen requiring no special skill therefor, and which-is susceptible of easy repair. v

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which Will'be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth,,and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the followingclaims. v v

In the. accompanying drawings wherein several illustrative embodiments of the invention are disclosed, I I 1 Figure l is a fragmentary ,pla-nview showing-an assembly of a plurality of groups of cleaning units with common means @for operatlng the same; I g I Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevationtaken approximately on the line.2- 2of Fig. 1, looking in .the direction of'zt'he arrow;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View similar to 2,.showing a modified construction,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary view showing details of construction of the cleaning 'unitemployed Figs. 13; 1

Fig. 5 is a view similar ito Fig sf 2gand 3',

but .showinga modified construction;

F g. 6 is an enlarged f ragmentary'eljevation of one of the cleaning units shown in Fig..=5'; and

Fig. .7 isa sectional view on the line .'77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings for adetailed description, and first tothe embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, and 4, each ofia plurality of rectangular supporting'bars 1 carriessi X cleaning units 2 arranged :in spaced-series along the length thereof, and is provided at portion merging with a downwardly and rearwardly curved portion, and the curvature of the bed is slightly different from that of the lower faces of the curved portions 7 of the blades, forming a curved, wedgeshaped slot between the bed and the blades for gripping and holding the impurities as the yarn moves past. The blades 6 and 6 are pivotally mounted side by side in pairs on spindles or pins 9 secured to the bar 1.

In the modification of the unit construction shown in Fig. 4; the mounting of the blades on the pin 9 may be similar to that disclosed in said reissue patent or as hereinafter described in connection with Figs. 5, 6, and 7 The arrangement of the springs for keeping the blades pressed against the bed is not shown in Fig. 1, but it will be understood that they may be mounted upon the pins 9 and connected to the blades. The means for operating the blades employed in this modification will be hereinafter described.

In'the modification of unit construction shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, a spacing washer or sleeve 10 is disposed on the pin 9 between the bar 1 and the face of the blade 6*, and a block 11 is secured on the end of the pin on the opposite side of the bar 1 by a screw. The opposite end of the pin is threaded and a nut 1.2 thereon engages the blade 6 holding the parts in assembled relation. The blades are pivotally mounted on pin 9, which may be non-rotatably mounted in the bar 1., and are urged to contacting )osition with the bed 8 by a coiled spring 18 having oppositely disposed coils 13 and 13 disposed on the pin 9 between the blades, the outer ends thereof being bent to engage the respective blades. The two coils are preferably made up of a single piece of springwire, which is bent into an integral loop 14 around the tension lever 15 pivoted to the pin between the loops of the spring. This spring is also adapted to hold the blades in properly spaced relationship, to acco1nmo date different diameters of yarn, and to hold them yieldingly in position so enlargements or other imperfections on the yarn may pass without causing excessive tension or'strain, either on the yarn or on the parts. The spacing of the blades may be adjusted by n reams of the I121! 12.

When the yarn 4 is passed between the blades it is lightly pressed therebetween under the influence of the spring 13, the pressure exerted upon the blade being readily adjustable by means of the nut 12, and by the same means the blades may be adjusted for different sizes of yarn. Irrespective of the size of yarn or of the irregularities of the same, this spring holds the blades lightly in yielding engagement with the yarn at all times, and any movement of the blades due to enlargements or the like on the yarn is yieldingly opposed by the spring by reason of the fact that the lower portions of the blade fulcrum over the spacing sleeve 10 on one side or the nut 12 on the other side The tendency, therefore, is to offer a constant resistance to the passing yarn and to maintain as nearly as possible a uniform tension thereon.

A detailed description of the operation of the type of blade construction and arrangement disclosed in Figs. 4: to 7 in re moving impurities from the traveling yarn is fully described in said re-issue patent and there is no need, therefore, to enter into a detailed description here. It may be said, however, that the impurities removed from the yarn are lodged between the blades and beds 8 and released therefrom at intervals by certain mechanism hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, one form of mechanism for operating the cleaning units to release the impurities is shown. According to this construction improved means are provided for operating the blades of the units alternatelyin groups in order to aid in maintaining as nearly as possible a uniform resistance to the passage of the yarn, and maintaining in consequence an approximately constant tension at all times. As shown, brackets 16 are suitably spaced apart and mounted upon a supporting base 17 and are provided with aligned openings for the reception of a supporting bar 18 held in position in the brackets by set screws 19. A bracket arm 20 is supported from a block or hub 21 having a lower extension 22 provided with an open slot for receiving the supporting bar 18. A set screw 23 threaded in the projection is adapted to contact with the supporting bar to securely lock the hub in position thereon. The bracket arm is provided with a laterally disposed lug 24 for supporting one end of the bar 1, the other end of said bar being supported on the hub 21. Longitudinally reciprocab'le, parallel rods 25 and 26 are mounted side by side in openings in the lug 2 1, the rear ends of these rods diverging for connection to the opposite ends of a rocker arm 27 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the hub 21. This rocker arm is provided with a medial, laterally extending operating lug 28 having its terminal formed with opposii'i'g symmetrically curved side faces. Disposed adjacent said operating lug and ar ranged'to co-operate therewith is a pivoted lever 29 having a terminal adjacent said lug formed with curved side faces similar to and adapted to engage "the curved faces of the operating lug. This lever is slotted at the opposite end to receive a pin 30 carried by a rocker arm 31 which is connected by an open slot and set screw $1 with the rock shatt't Operating blocks 32 are adjustably connected with each of the rods '25 and 26, lying adjacent the operatin arms 33 of the cleaning units so as to operate the latter when the rods are longitudinally reciprooated. In one en'ibodinie'n't, as shown in Fig. 4, each of these arms is secured to the pin 9 of the corresponding cleaning unit, the pin being rotatably mounted in the bar 1 and the blades being securedthereto to rotate therewith. As shown in Fig. 2, the operating blocks are spaced on'the rod 25 to contact with the operating arms of alternate cleaning units, and 'those' on the rod 26 are spaced to contact with the-aims of the remaining units.

The operating or trip arms are resiliently adjustable to vary the degree ;of movement of the blades, and to enable the latter to be adjusted for operation in u-nison, as shown in Fig. i. Rota-tiv'e movement is imparted to the pin 9 through the reciprocating rods 25, 26, and arms '33. Each of the arms is bent back upon itself,

the bent back or shorter "linib 34: extending into a diamet'ral slot in the pin '9 iii-which it is secured, while the longer limb lies'in an adjacent transverse slot or openingextending in substantially the same "aZXia-l plane as the dian'ietral slot. An adjusting screw 35 threaded in the pin 9 with its-end against the longer limb enables the "pendant end of the latter to be adjusted. The trip arm is constructed of resilient material, the limbs being forced apart by the screw against the resiliency of the material, and recoiling towardtheir normalposition when the screw is retracted. Also the a'rfn will be flexed by contact with its operating' block in case there is any undue resistance intlie operating of the blades. -Adjustments 'to the operation of the blades andstra'in'ing or other injury to the parts are thusavoided.

The rock shaft 5 is given an oscillating movement'by means of a cam 36 mounted-on a pulley 3T'drivenby any convenient source of power. A crank arm 38 secured toshaft' 5 carries a cam roller 39 adapted to-cont'act with the periphery of thecam and is resiliently urged toward the latter by a tension spring 40.

As mentioned above, as many groups of cleaning units mounted side by side on the supporting bar 18 all operatetl from th'er'ock shaft 5, may beemployed'as desired, so a plurality oi threads "of yarn of the saine, or of differei'i't diameters may be simnltaneously cleaned in thesame apparatus. The construction above described enables the plar-al'it of groups of cleaning units to be set up without the aid of skilled =mech'a'nics, as the hubsee ear-ry i'ngthe groups of cleaning units are readily attached to the supporting bar 18 by reason of their open slots below and the set screws Rock shaft 5 slips into the bearings pro vided for it in the brackets 16', and pu l l ey 37 may their be positioned with its center at any oper'ative distance from that of the rock sha t-t which distance may vary considerably. Rocker arn131 may now have its open slot slipped over the rock shaft with its transverse p'in engaging the slot of the lever 29. The arm 31 is then secured by the set screws 31' in proper operative position upon the rock shaft.

Theoperation of the device of Figs. 1, 2, andi will be understood from the :t'oregoing description, -'a brief outline/thereof being substantially as follows: The impurities collected in the various c'leaning units are held' 'by the blades until the latter are raised by operation of the rock shaft- 5 to-eiiect loi'igitudinal movement of one-or the other on rod 25 or 26. Movement of one rothas shown in 2, will bring the -lu-gs 32 into contact withone set of trip arms to release every alternate unit, while subsequent operationoi theo'the'r rod will release theotherfl alteniate nnits. This movement of rods 25, 26- 'is eiiect'ed by rocking of arm 31, imparting rocking movement *to lever 29 by engagement of the pin 30 of therockerarm in "the terminal slot of the lever. The curved'face df the lever 29' eng'agefs the corresponding faceofthe operating lug 28 of rocker ar'nr27, moving the latter in on'e di;

r'ection'to operate one group of units. The

terminal of lever 29 passes by the engagin'g tern iin-al of lug 28, the rocker arm 27 and blades of each cleaning unit then returning to normal position. The rocking of the arm 31 in the opposite direction will, in 'a sin'iil'arinanneryoperate the other group of cleaning units. v

In themodifieationo'f Fig. 3 the construction of the-cleaning units, supporting bar 1, bracket arm 20,'etc., is generally similar to that in Fig. 2, but themea ns for reciprocatingt-he rods 25 and 26 ismodified. As shown, the pulley 37'carries a cam 4&1 having aprojection 42, anda'diametrically disposeddepression 48, adapted to'e'ngage the roller 39' on thea rm 38. I A rocker arm 4: 4 is secured intermediate it's ends on the rock shaft 5,'to theopposi-te ends of which the bent terminals-of the rods 25 and 26 arerespectively connected. Thi's provi'des a direct connection between the rockshaft. and the reciprocating rods, and is somewhat simpler than the construction of Fig. 2, but is not quite so easily assembled or disassembled.

In operation this form is similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2, but it will be noted that as the cam 41 rotates, the projection 42 and depression 43 come alternately into contact with the roller 39 to operate the releasing mechanism. lVhen the projection 42 en gages the roller, the arm 38 and rock shaft 5 are operated so as to move rod 25 longitudinally toward said shaft while rod 26 moves in the opposite direction. The lugs 32 on the rod 25 will thus be brought into engagement with the adjustable arms 33 of one group of alternate cleaning units and the blades of these units will be raised to allow the collected impurities to be swept out by the moving yarn. I'Vhen the depression 43 engages the cam roller, the rock shaft 5 will be oppositely rotated under influence of the tension spring 40 to bring the lugs 32 of rod 26 into contact with the operating arms 33 of the other set of alternate units to similarly release impurities lodged therein. It will thus be seen that the cleaning units are released in alternating groups and that there is a consequent tendency to maintain constant tension on the yarn at all times.

In the modification of the operating mechanism of Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the general ar rangement of cleaning units is the same as in Figs. 2 and 3. In this case a bar 45 is mounted to slide longitudinally on the under side of supporting bar 1, screws 46 engaging in slots in this slide bar and threaded into bar 1 for this purpose. This slide bar is provided with a pin 47 disposed adjacent each cleaning unit and arranged to contact with the tension lever 15 pivoted on the spindle 9 as above described. The integral extension 14 of the spring 13 is looped around the tension lever 15. Normally the slide bar is pulled to the right by acoiled spring 48 connecting it with bar 1. Abutting against the end of the slide bar and slidable in the hub 21 is a push pin 49, the outer end of which is adapted to be e11- gaged by an arm 50 attached to rock shaft 5 by means of an open slot and set screw. A cam 51 is provided for imparting movement to the rock shaft 5, as in the preceding modifications, but this cam differs somewhat from those heretofore described inasmuch as its peripheral cam surface is circular except for a con'iparatively small angle where there is a depression 52. In consequence the cam roller 39 will, for the greater part of the revolution of the cam, be pushed to the extreme right, thus holding the slide bar 45 in extreme position to the left and acting upon tension levers 15 soas to tighten the tension springs 13 of the cleaning unit blades to hold them against their beds 8.

Once in each revolution of the cam, the roller 39 will drop into the depression 52 and permit the slide bar 45 to be moved to the right under the influence of spring '48, thus releasing the tension of the blades 6 and 6 which will then instantaneously jump up under the pressure of the massed impurities lying wedged under them, and the impurities will be swept out by the running yarn.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus for removing impurities from yarn, in combination, means adjacent the yarn to remove and hold the impuri ties, means actuated at intervals to release said impurities, and means for adjusting the timing of said releasing means.

2. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of cleaning units for removing impurities from the yarn passing through the same, and means for operating said units in groups to release impurities removed from the yarn.

3. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of cleaning units arranged in series formation for removing and holding impurities from a running yarn, and means for operating said units alternately in groups to release said impurities.

4. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of means adjacent a yarn passing through the same adapted to remove and hold impurities carried by the yarn, and means actuated at intervals to operate said means alternately in groups to release said impurities.

5. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of units adjacent a yarn.

and adapted to remove and hold impurities carried thereby, means actuated at intervals to operate the units alternately in groups to release said impurities and means forming a part of said last named means for rendering the same adjustable.

6. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of means adjacent a yarn and adapted to remove and hold impurities carried thereby, means actuated at intervals to operate said means alternately in groups.

8. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of means adjacent the yarn adapted to remove impurities therefrom, and means actuated at in'tervals'to'operate said means alternately in groups to release said impurities, said last mentioned means being operatively connectedto a cam actuated shaft.

9. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, means for removing impurities, a longitudinally reciprocating rod,,and a resiliently adjustable arm connecting said means to said rod.

10. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, means for removing impurities, a longitudinally reciprocating rod, a resilient ly adjustable arm connecting said means to said rod, and a cam operated shaft connected to said rod for reciprocating the latter.

11. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of means for removing and holding impurities, means for releasing said impurities from said first mentioned means, said last means including reciprocating rods each operativelyconnected to a plurality of said first mentioned means.

12. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of adjustable means for removing and holding impurities, means for releasing said impurities from said holding means, said last means including a pair of reciprocating rods, each rod being connected to alternate holding means, and a cam operated shaft connected to said rods.

13. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of means through which said yarn is adapted to pass, said means being adapted to remove and hold impurities from the yarn, means actuated at intervals to operate said means alternately'in groups to release said impurities, said last mentioned means including a plurality of longitudinally reciprocablc rods, and means to simultaneously reciprocate said rods in opposite directions.

14:. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of adjustable means through Which said yarn is adapted to pass, said means being adapted to remove and hold impurities from the yarn, means to operate said first means alternately to release said impurities, said last means including reciprocating rods, and means to simultaneously reciprocate said rods in, opposite c'lirec- 'tions, each of said gripping means operating to releas'eth'e impurities only uponmoVement of its operating rod in one *direction.

15. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combin-ation, a plurality ofmeansadj-aCent the yarn adapted to remove and hold 11111)111'113168, and means for 'operating'saidfirst means at 'intervals'torelease said impurities, said last means including a shaft and a cam Wheel for reciprocating sa' id shaft. i

16. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, 111' combination, a plurality of means through which said yarn is adapted to pass, said means-being adapted to remove andhold impurities, means for operating said first-means alternately at intervals to'release said impurities, said last mentioned'm'eans including a plurality of reciprocating rods, a shaft, a rocker arm on said'shaft connected on opposite ends to said rods, and a cam Wheel for reciprocating said shaft alternately in opposite directions.

17. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, means for removing impurities from a running yarn including asu'pport, a pin mounted on'said support, yarn engaging means, mounted on said pin, and means contacting said pin and anchored to said yarn engaging means to yieldingly hold the latter in positlon. a

18. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, means for removing impurities from -a yarn including a support, a pin mounted on said support, blades on said pin, and means disposed between said blades for yieldingly holding the same in a position at which they Will operatively engage said yarn.

19. In a yarn cleaningapparatus, in combination, a pair of yarn engaging members,

means formou'nting said members and pe'r mitting of a movement of the same in a number of different directions, and means associated With said mounting means and members for yieldingly co-acting With the latter to normally retain the same in opera: tive relationship.

20. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a plurality of groups of cleaning units disposed side by side, a rocker shaft extending adjacent said groups and operatively connected. to the units thereof, and means for oscillating said rocker shaft.

21. In a yarn cleaning apparat'us,'in combination, a support, a bracket arm detachably secured to said support, a plurality of cleaning elements carried by said bracket arm, and means adjacent said support for operating said cleaning elements.

22. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a supporting bar, a bracket arm having a slotted projection for attachment to said bar, a plurality of cleaning units carried by said bracket arm, a rocker shaft adjacent said supporting bar, and operative bination, a supporting bar, a plurality of bracket arms disposed side by side and carried by said supporting bar, yarn cleaning elements carried by each of said bracket arms, an operating shaft disposed adjacent each of said bracket arms, and operative connections between said shaft and said cleaning elements whereby to release from said elements the particles removed thereby from said yarn.

25. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a cleaning unit having yarn engaging means and a pin for operating the same, and a resiliently adjustable operating arm secured to said pin.

26. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination,-a cleaning unit having yarn engaging means and a pin for operating the same, and an operating arm having a looped end secured to said pin and arranged to adjust said arm.

27. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a supporting bar, a plurality of cleaning elements carried by said bar, a longitudinally movable bar, and resilient connections between said bar and said elements for operating the latter.

28. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, a supporting bar, a plurality of cleaning elements carried by said bar, an

operating bar slidably mounted on said supporting bar, means for reciprocating said operating bar, and operating connections between said operating bar and said cleaning elements.

29. In a yarn cleaning apparatus, in combination, yarn engaging means, resilient means stressed for yieldingly holding said yarn engaging means in operative position,

and means for diminishing the stress on said fixed parallel to one another upon said support, the units of each group being linearly disposed, a rocker shaftheld by said support transversely to and adjacent to all of said groups, tripping means for the cleaning units, means attached to the rocker shaft for engaging said tripping means, a cam arm fixed 'to said rockershaft, a cam engaged with said cam arm, and means for operating said cam.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT GOULD JENNINGS.

Witnesses FRANK A. HALBERT, MARY BURKE. 

